Switch or terminal box.



Cu, E4, VAN DUZER. SWITCH 0R TERMINAL BOX. .Amlcmon FILED sin, 1912.

, 1,f201,003 Y Y Patend; ot. 10,1916.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT orFioE.

, CLARENCE E. VAN .'DUZER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 BONN ELL MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OIE' CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SWITCH on TERMINAL Box.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application led September-g4, y1912. Serial N o. 722,151.

, To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be itknown that I, CLARENCE E. VAN

DUZER, a citizen of the United States, residp ing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Switch or Terminal Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to switch or terminal boxes which are used in interior electric light wiring for the housing or accommodation of electric light switches, and especially to that type of box that comprises one or more like units, whereby the box thus constructed can accommodate any number of switches. Its objects are to provide a switch or terminal box of this character which is of simple construction, which is comparatively cheap of production, which can be quickly and easily converted from a single switch box to a gang switch box for the accommodation of a number of electric switches without the use of special tools and which, either as a single or a gang7 switch box, will aiford an unobstructed cavity of maximum dimensions as compared with its exterior dimensions.

A further object is to provide a switch or terminal box which is equally Y as well adapted for use in the wiring of buildings which have been completed prior to the installation of the electric wiring as for use in the wiring of new buildings.

These and further objects I attain by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein,

Figure l represents a left hand side ele-A vation of my improved switch box, a portionof the side plate being broken away to more clearly show the manner of its attachment to the body-portionof the box; Fig. 2 a front elevation of a single unit constituting a switch box; Fig. 3 a right hand side elevation thereof; Fig. 4 a plan view of the same; Fig. 5 a front elevation of a gang switch box, produced by the assembling of a number of the single units shown in the preceding figures; Fig. 6 a perspective view of the eccentric screw which is used for attaching the side plates to a single switch box, or for connecting the various units together for producing a gang box; and

Fig. 7 a perspective view of the bracket for securing the switch box within a wall.

D escribing by reference characters the various parts illustrated in the drawings, the body of the switch or terminal box comprises generally a rear wall 1, top and bottom walls 2 and 3, respectively, and diagonal walls 4f which join lthe rear wall 1 with the top and bottom walls. Depending from the left hand edge of the top wall Q and projecting upwardly from the left hand edge of the bottom wall 3 are lugs 5 and 6, respectively, each being l the one in the lug 5 being indicated at 7.

provided with a hole.

verse alinement with the lugs 5 and 6, are lugs 8 and '9. These lugs are provided with bosses (the boss of lug S being indicated atv 10) which are pressed outwardly from the central portion of the lugs a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the metal. A side plate l1 is adapted to close the left hand side of the switch box and is provided with bosses 12 (similar to the boss 10 projecting from the lug 8) which are adapted to occupy the holes within the lugs 5 and 6 when the side plate is in place. The opposite side of the box is closed by a plate 13 having holes 14 near its upper and lower edges for the reception of the bosses projecting from the lugs 8 and 9. The side plates 11 and 13 are held in place by screws 15 which are threaded to the bosses projecting from the side' plate 1.1 and from the lugs S and 9. The heads of these screws 15 are eccentric with respect to the body portions thereof and the screwsl are eccentricall;T mounted within the bosses. The bosses and the screw heads are circular and the eccentricity of the screw body with respect to its head and the eccentricity of the screw hole with respect to the .lug are identical so that. in one position, the periphery of the screw head 15 may be coincident with that of the boss. It will be noticed. also. that the holes within the lugs 5 and 6 and the holes 14 in the plate 13 are circular and somewhat largerv in diameter than the heads of the screws 15.

i From the foregoing facts it will be apparent that, when the screw heads are concentric with the bosses in which they are mounted: the heads of the screws may be passed through the holes within the lugs land the side plate 13 and the'bosses inserted into the holes and 11. Vhen in this position,

Iby the application of an ordinary screw left hand side plate of the right hand unit.

are removed.

The lugs 8 and 9 of the left hand unit are secured to the lugs and 6 of the intermediate unit, and the lugs 8 and 9 of the intermediate unit are secured to the lugs 5 and 6 of the right hand unit in the same way thatthe side plates 11 and 13 are attached to the body portion of the switch box which has been previously disclosed. This affords a very quick and convenient method of producin a gang box from a plurality of units, and a screw driver is the only necesv sary tool for the assembling.

A bracket 16 is attached to the top and' bottom of my switch box by screws 17, for

`the securing of the switch box within a wall.

In the construction of new buildings which are to be tted with switch boxes of the char-- acter herein described, substantial blocks are secured to the joist in a horizontal position and spaced far enough apart to acconnnodate the switch box. AThe brackets 16 are secured to these blocks by nails or screws which pass through the holes 18 i within the longer section 19 of said brack v ets. Since these brackets are secured to the top and bottom walls of the switch `box some distance to the rearward of the front edge, the usual lathing and plastering may be accomplished without difficulty and, because of the dimensions of the brackets. 16, the front of the box will be flush withthe surface of the wall.

Where it is desired to use my switch or terminal box in connection with the electric wiring that may have been installed without reference to its employment, I secure the box in place by use of the brackets 16, but I reverse their positions, placing. the Vshorter sections 2O in a vertical position and securing the brackets to the top and bottom walls of the switch box by passing the screws 17 through the holes 18 in the longer sections 19 thereof. The holes in the brackets are made of key-hole shape to obviate the necessity of removing the screws completely when reversing the brackets. When in the position just described, because of the dimensions of the brackets the front of the box will be flush with the surface of the wall when the rear faces of the sectionsv 2O of the brackets are placed against the face of the lathing.

Ears 21 which project from the top and` means for one end ofa gang box to be concealed'within the body of the box.

The word box as employed in the claims is not to be limited to a single unit having the side plates applied thereto, but is used (except where the language limits it tothe unit or gang type) in a generic sense.

Having thus described my invention, what IY claim is: j

l. A box for the purpose described comprising a body portion having holes, side plates having bosses adapted to occupy said holes, and means movably mounted upon the bosses and adapted to be moved into a position to overlie the adjacent part of the body portion when the bosses occupy said holes whereby said side plates may be secured to the body portion.

2. A box for the purpose described comprising a body portion having holes therein, side plates having fixed bosses which are adapted to occupy said holes, and means eccentrically mounted upon said bosses to lock the side plates and body portion together.

'3. A box for the purpose described comprising abody portion having circular holes therein, side plates having xed circular bosses which are adapted to occupy said holes, and means eccentrically mounted upon said bosses to lock the side plates and body portion together.

4. As an article of manufacture, a body portion having, adjacent each side thereof, a pair of lugs projecting toward each other from opposite walls thereof, the lugs at one side of the body having perforations therethrough and the lugs at the opposite side having outwardly projecting bosses corresponding in shape to the perforations in the former lugs. 5. As an article of manufacture, a hollow body having, adjacent each side thereof, a pair of lugs projecting into the interior of the body, one pair of lugs having circular perforations and the other pair having circular bosses adapted to fit in the perforations of. the lugs of an adjacent body.

6. As an article of manufacture, a body portion having, adjacent each side thereof, a

pair of lugs, one pair of lugs having holes therein andthe other pair having bosses transversely alined with and complementary to-said holes.

7. A box for the purpose described comprising a body portion having'a lug provided with a boss, a side plate having a hole adapted to receive said boss, and means carried by the lug and arranged eccent'rically with respect to the hole in the side plate, for locking the lug and side plate together.

8. As an article of manufacture, a body portion having a lug projecting from one side thereof and into the interior of the body and provided with a hole and having a lug` projecting from the opposite side thereof and provided with la boss of substantially the same size andv conformation as the hole. 9.. A box for the-purpose described com- 20 prising a body portion having lugs projecting inwardly from opposite sides thereof andbosses on said lugs, a side plate having` openings adapted t-o receive said bosses, and means on said bosses for locking the said y25 plate and lugs together. t

In testimony whereof, Dhereunto` atlix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. CLARENCE E. VAN DUZER. Witnesses:

BRENNAN B. WEST, J. B. HULL. 

